No negligence in bringing back Benazir: ACC DG
ACC says it has completed all required legal procedures, including sending a Mutual Legal Assistance Request through the home ministry.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has carried out all legal procedures required to facilitate the return of former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed and there was "no negligence" on its part, ACC Director General (Special Investigation) Mir Mohammad Zainul Abedin Shibli said today (2 August).
Speaking to reporters at the ACC headquarters in Dhaka's Segunbagicha, Shibli responded to questions following media reports that Benazir had been granted bail in Dubai.
"Like you, we also came to know about the matter through media reports. Whatever legal steps are necessary in light of this development will be taken by the relevant authorities," he said.
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Rejecting allegations that the ACC had been negligent in the process of bringing Benazir back to Bangladesh, Shibli said the commission had completed all procedures within its jurisdiction.
"When legal steps involve cross-border inquiries, the central authority is the Ministry of Home Affairs. We sent a Mutual Legal Assistance Request (MLAR) through the home ministry after coordinating with both the home and foreign ministries," he said.
He explained that the home ministry serves as the central authority for processing such requests, which are then forwarded to the relevant country through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"We have done everything that was required from our end. We will jointly examine the legal aspects and determine the next course of action," Shibli added.
Earlier today, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the government has taken steps to challenge Benazir's bail order in Dubai.
"We have learned that former IGP Benazir Ahmed has been granted conditional bail by a court in Dubai. The government has hired a law firm in the UAE to seek cancellation of the bail order," the minister told reporters after a meeting with police officers and personnel in Rajshahi.
Benazir, who served as inspector general of police from 2020 to 2022, is facing multiple corruption investigations over allegations of amassing wealth beyond known sources of income and laundering money abroad.
He left Bangladesh before the ACC launched its investigations and has remained overseas since then.
